First year of archery elk hunting no luck

[mastercaster]

Just got done with my first year of archery elk no meat in the freezer . Kinda got a kick in the teeth though the area where I did my pre season scouting and hunted for the first couple weeks got shut down for fire danger just when things were coming together for me . Just missed them a couple times before I figured out I needed to be there even sooner . Spent some time and money to equip my mtn bike to turn an hour of trying to sneak in in the dark into a 20 min ride only to get locked out my first time out with my new toys and attachments . What did I learn ? dont put all your eggs on one mountain . Next year I will have a couple alternate areas scouted out . Never having hunted this time of year conditions were far different than what I am used to in the fall . Much harder to track not to mention trying to remain stealthy and soaking your tshirt 15 min into a hike I regularly drained my 2 liter water bladder . I will continue to learn and adapt to the conditions and do better next year . Included a couple pics of one of many rubs in the area .

 

[rum runner]

lol welcome to the joys of archery hunting! you are not the only one with tag soup this year but looks like you got a nice bull in that place going off the rub and size of the tree its on!

 

[Mad dog]

This year was especially hot and dry! Lot's of elk activity at night...the last few days of the season my son and his buddy found a big bull that was bugling after dark, the next morning they went in after him and got him pretty wound up! Wouldn't shut up! They worked in on him pretty close until some other hunter came in to the bugling and blew up the hunt!!! Unfortunately, that's how it goes on public land! The next morning the bull was bugling across the canyon...a big canyon! So, they drove around to the other side only to find that some other hunter had driven into the herd and blown them up again! Arggg!!! The road hunter claimed it was a 420" bull!!! Ya, sure it was! My son said it was as big a bull as he has ever seen while out hunting but was no where near that big!

Bummer about the road closures! It deffinetely pays to have as many locations as possible, some years area's that hold elk one season will be devoid of any fresh sign period! Every year is different!

 

[troutfisherman]

Omg ! That sucks maddog sorry to hear that ! What unit was the bull in!?

 

[halibuthitman]

Ive called more hunters than elk... 420... gotta love spotting scope scoring.. but ground shrinkage is a *****... find at night... kill at light.. sounds like he did all a guy can do-

 

[dtikey]

yes tuff year for sure.We ended up calling in probally 6-8 total bulls with my uncle choking on a shot with a 5 piont and I smoked a 3 piont at 12 yards that walked off hundered yards started to lay down then another guy came down the ridge with the wind wrong because he heard us calling and jumped my bull way to soon and that was the last we seen of him.Heartbroke but always next year